The West Indian . JULY 01, 2017 . Page 38 COMMENTARY By DR. DHANPAUL NARINE In Praise of !

akistan’s can be contrary. and his 337 against West et has been unpredict- ‘we can only win. There One minute they’re on top and in Indies is the highest by a able with the constant is nothing else left.’ P Pakistani in . changing of offi cials in The stars that had the other they are down! This can be Mushtaq Sadiq and Wa- the Board and by the se- been fl oating around on said of life in general but in sports zir, brothers of Hanif, lection of persons with distant planets had to be it takes on a special meaning. When also played Test cricket. close ties to the mili- pulled into a hallowed It was an extraordinary tary. By the seventies a fi rmament and Imran did it involves cricket and brings to the feat to have four brothers new crop of players took this spectacularly. He playing Test cricket and the stage. Imran Khan, led from the front and stage Pakistan and India it is no lon- Dr. Dhanpaul Narine ger a battle between bat and ball. It another brother Raees , Safraz the bowlers worked as a came close to playing in Nawaz, Majid Khan, unit; England fell short is a clash of history and geography a Test. Asif Iqbal, and Intikhab and Pakistan did the un- the ICC refused to send and the outpouring of emotions that is The Mohammed Alam, and others, gave thinkable. They won the the teams to Pakistan. In- writ large, as in a theater of war. brothers dominated Pa- the team brilliant perfor- 1992 World Cup. This dia and West Indies also kistan cricket for three mances. The innings of did wonders for the na- cancelled their tours cit- decades starting in the 274 by Zaheer Abbas is tional morale and made ing security reasons. The Virat Kohli said it weaknesses of West In- 1950’s. Pakistan beat still seen by many as one Imran a hero. It also gave most devastating blow best on the eve of the dies. England at the Oval in of the fi nest in England. him a platform to enter was struck in 2009 when 2017 Champions Tro- Pakistan’s victory 1954; India managed to What was lacking with the political movement the Sri Lankan team bus phy: the side that can against India led to a chalk up its fi rst series Pakistan, however, was in his country. was attacked. The La- handle the pressure well fl urry of adjectives to win against England in consistency. During the next 25 hore Test was cancelled on the day will win. The and the tour called off . script was fl ipped; India Pakistan has not buckled on the big stage played Test cricket in and folded in the pres- their country since 2009. sure cooker atmosphere. This exile has imposed Their supporters began challenges on both the leaving the Oval after the team and fans. In the sixth had fallen. 2017 Champions Trophy Hardik Pandya’s they were ranked at the cameo ended in comical bottom of the list. After run-out to sum up In- Pakistan’s loss to India dia’s miserable day. In in the fi rst game some some ways it reminded scribes wrote them off one of West Indies pro- as serious competitors. cession into the pavilion But they rallied to beat in the Final of the 1983 England and secure a World Cup at Lords. On spot in the Final against that occasion it was India India. that was on top with the On the morning of the West Indies being made Final a deja vu moment to look ordinary. That occurred. Sar- loss dented the national fraz Ahmed marshaled pride and arguably set his troops. Like Imran in motion the conditions in 1992, he instilled be- for West Indies decline. lief in his team. They They have not won a can win; they needed World Cup since and to focus and handle the West Indies cricket has pressure. lost its glamour. Pakistan outplayed In some ways West India, winning by 180 Indies is what Pakistan Pure joy! Pakistan celebrates the winning of the 2017 Champions Trophy over India. runs. Congratulations used to be: individual poured in and the fans brilliance that can beat describe the team’s per- 1971. Pakistan did not The introduction of years Pakistan intro- took to the streets. Virat any team on their day formance. They ranged lose a Test on home soil Shoab Akhtar, Wasim duced new stars to the Kohli was gracious in but are viewed mostly from mercurial to im- until 1959. The rivalry Akram, Waqar You- game. es- defeat. Sarfraz hailed the as pushovers. The ‘push- probable and from in- between India and Paki- nis, Mustaq Ahmed and tablished himself as one victory as the tonic his over’ label has stuck with spiring to incredible. stan is legendary and one later Saqlain Mushtaq of the all-time greats and nation needed to move West Indies for years The history of Pakistan’s reason could be that in enabled Pakistan to Mishbah became a con- forward. Coach Mickey while other teams with cricket is fi lled with ex- the early days many of compete eff ectively in sistent performer and an Arthur said that the team perhaps less talent have amples of players that the Pakistan players were the pace and spin de- astute captain. Inzamaan believed in itself and that soared. Ireland and Af- could win it all on their born in India. Partition, partments. The 1992 scored freely while Sha- the victory was massive. ghanistan are now mem- day. But when the play is with its religious and Word Cup was won by hid Afridi showed that Prime Minister Nawaz bers of the Test club. going against them they ideological diff erences, Pakistan largely because he had the appetite for Sharif said it was time West Indies did not appear to lack heart and added to the rivalry. Imran was able to trans- the shorter format of the to rejoice. Perhaps Test make it to the Champi- to throw it away without It is argued that A.H. mit his self-belief to the game. But controversy cricket will be restored ons Trophy; things are a fi ght. One isn’t sure Kardar, a former captain, rest of the team. Wasim was never far from Paki- to Pakistan. It would be so bad that their fans are which team will turn up was the person responsi- Akram revealed that on stani cricket. good then if cricket can hoping that the team can to play. ble for the reformation of the morning of the Fi- In May 2002 New do what the politicians win a place in the next There is no question cricket in the fi fties and nal against England that Zealand canceled its couldn’t: begin the heal- World Cup. Imagine a that some of the most sixties. He saw it as his ‘ there was a commu- tour of Pakistan due to ing between India and World Cup without the brilliant players in crick- mission to have cricket- nication problem in the security concerns and Pakistan. West Indies! It can hap- et have emerged from ers in good jobs so that team.’ Imran pulled each in 2008 Australia post- pen; the current Indian Pakistan. Hanif Mo- they could devote more player aside and gave poned their tour. In that The views expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and do not team in the Caribbean hammed stands at the time to the game. But the him a motivational talk year the Champions Tro- necessarily represent the views of the has further exposed the pinnacle of achievement administration of crick- that led to the idea that phy was postponed as THE WEST INDIAN.